The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
FALL CHALLENGE 2014
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25.4. Peebee’s Task: Opposites Attract
LouLouReads wrote: "I honestly don't think I have a author gender that I read more. I even counted the books on my shelves to check, and it came out pretty much even. Can I just pick one (for option 1)?"Yes, as referenced in the task, you may just pick one (that's what I meant by "best guess.")
Mod
..."
done
I want to check that I'm understanding the options correctly. If my favorite is fiction by a female author (I live in the US) and I choose to go with option c-the wild card- then I don't need to satisfy all three (gender, location and opposite genre). So then I could choose
Stories I Only Tell My Friends as he is a male author and it is a memoir. Thanks for all your help!
ok, I want to clarify - if I pick options 1 and 31 - female/fiction/north america
2 - book set in antarctica - do I need to pick another opposite - i'm confused - or does it need to be male or non-fiction as well
Rita wrote: "I want to check that I'm understanding the options correctly. If my favorite is fiction by a female author (I live in the US) and I choose to go with option c-the wild card- then I don't need to sa..."Rita -- if you select option 3C, it just has to be a memoir: it does not matter whether it is male. As it says in the task instructions "For this task, only one of the three criteria must be matched..."
Dee wrote: "ok, I want to clarify - if I pick options 1 and 31 - female/fiction/north america
2 - book set in antarctica - do I need to pick another opposite - i'm confused - or does it need to be male or no..."
Dee -- if you select option 3A, it just has to be set in Antarctica: it does not have to be male and/or non-fiction as well. As it says in the task instructions, "For this task, only one of the three criteria must be matched..."
just wanted to clarify! lol! my brain totally isn't wiht it
Dee wrote: "just wanted to clarify! lol! my brain totally isn't wiht it"No problem -- I want to make sure to clarify all the necessary language in the task itself before the cut-off date, but I think we had that particular item in there. LOL
As someone who has created a task several times, I can say that you can never predict what will be confusing and what everyone will pick up on right away!
can you just take a look at The Nature of Ice - from the description, it sounds like it works, but would like you to verify ;)
Dee wrote: "can you just take a look at The Nature of Ice - from the description, it sounds like it works, but would like you to verify ;)"From the description: "set in the extraordinary landscape of Antarctica."
That sounds perfectly on point. Approved.
that's what I thought - but obviosuly, if it differs too much i'll move it around
Peebee wrote: "Rita wrote: "I want to check that I'm understanding the options correctly. If my favorite is fiction by a female author (I live in the US) and I choose to go with option c-the wild card- then I don..."Thank you!
Could I have Caitlín R. Kiernan approved as transgender for Option C?See this quote
“The same way that I don't want to be thought of as a horror writer, I don't want to be thought of as a gay writer, or 'that transsexual writer.' ... I've never tried to keep the transgenderism a secret; I just don't put a big sign over my head. It does not define me.
from this interview
http://www.locusmag.com/2008/Issue12_...
Coralie wrote: "Could I have Caitlín R. Kiernan approved as transgender for Option C?See this quote
“The same way that I don't want to be thought of as a horror writer, I don't want to be though..."
Approved.
Chris wrote: "My summer challenge showed an abundance of male writers of fiction set in North America, so I'm going to read
I can't find a lot of South American nonfiction by w..."
Chris, Cuba is considered part of North America according to the Wikipedia link I cited above. So the book you suggested would not work.
Book Concierge posted elsewhere in this thread an Isabel Allende memoir which works for Female/South American/Nonfiction, and she has written several in addition to her novels. I'm sure there are others too -- hopefully people will share them here.
If that doesn't appeal, then given your selection of male/fiction/North America for Option A, you can read ANY biography or memoir for Option C, regardless of where it's located and regardless of the author's gender.
Don't want this to be too complicated, but to allow people to choose whether to read the books they want to read or stretch their horizons.
If I chose option 3, and one of the options, they don't have to be opposite of option 1 right? Because I thought of reading
which is set in antartica.
Anita wrote: "If I chose option 3, and one of the options, they don't have to be opposite of option 1 right? Because I thought of reading which is set in antartica."That is correct, Anita: only one of the three criteria must be met if you are choosing option C. "Bernadette" is an excellent choice, and one I had in mind when writing the task, because it is set in Antarctica only in part, but still counts.
Approved.
Great, thanks. That's what I'll go for then. I don't have a lot of Non-fiction books on my TBR list. Definitely not from Australian authors.
I've heard a lot about the book, and saw I have access to it.
so let's see if I did this right...Option 1: Legal Briefs by N.M. Silber.
I am currently living in USA so North America/ I mostly read female authors/ and I mostly read fiction.
Option 3A: Beneath the Dark Ice by Greig Beck.
Setting in Antarctica
Hina wrote: "so let's see if I did this right...Option 1: Legal Briefs by N.M. Silber.
I am currently living in USA so North America/ I mostly read female authors/ and I mostly read fiction. ..."
You got it, Hina....approved.
I was born in NZ, which is in the submerged Zealandia continent. It is not part of the Australia continent although we are both part of the larger Oceania group.What is my opposite?
Hi, just gone and checked the continents link for another task and seen that in that there is no 'Australia' continent and that Australia, NZ and other countries in that area are grouped under the 'Oceania' continent. Can I take it that this task really means 'Oceania' and not 'Australia'?
Nicola: Yes, approved, and I will let the moderators know. Or if you currently live elsewhere, you can select another pairing.
Peebee wrote: "Nicola: Yes, approved, and I will let the moderators know. Or if you currently live elsewhere, you can select another pairing."Cheers Peebee, I'd have my passport taken away if I claimed to be Australian! :-)
Can I get Life in the Land of IS...the amazing story of Lani Deauville, the world's longest living quadriplegic as memoir for Option 3?Thanks
About the Isabel Allende non fiction books (message 66), there's Paula, which is about the author's daughter.The Sum of Our Days which was written after Paula
Also My Invented Country : A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile
I was planning on using Paula (South America/Non Fiction/Female) and Freedom (North America/Fiction/Male)
and
Pia wrote: "About the Isabel Allende non fiction books (message 66), there's Paula, which is about the author's daughter...."I do not think this particular book is set in South America ... the inside frontspiece states:
These pages were written during the interminable hours spent in the corridors of a Madrid hospital and in the hotel room where I lived for several months, as well as beside her bed in our home in California ..."
Of course, it also states on the back cover that "the author began to write the story of her family... In the telling bizarre ancestors appear before our eyes; we hear both delightful and bitter childhood memories, amazing anecdotes of youthful years ..."
I have the book, though I haven't read it ... but I just wasn't sure the setting was sufficiently in South America to qualify for the Option 2. It would still qualify for Option 3 as a memoir, however.
Book Concierge wrote: "Pia wrote: "About the Isabel Allende non fiction books (message 66), there's Paula, which is about the author's daughter...."I do not think this particular book is set in South Ameri..."
I haven't read it either, but I went to Isabel Allende's website and the summary says that even if it is set in Spain in the beginning, Isabel is telling her daughter the story of her family, which is set in Chile
http://www.isabelallende.com/en/book/...
I hope it works, if not, I'll have to find another book.
Book Concierge wrote: "Pia, Paula would still qualify for Option 3c to read a memoir/autobiography/biography"Yes, I suppose I could still read the Jonathan Franzen and pair it with Paula, either as option 2 or 3
Thanks Book Concierge!
Pia - I love Allende's writing ... always happy to have a spot (or three) in the challenge to fit one of her works in.
For Option 3 - Antarctica, I had the mods clarify that it could be set there in whole or in part. But for the first two options, let's go with the 50% rule, since that seems to be what is generally used by the moderators for the rest of the challenge.With Antarctica, most people don't live there permanently or even for extended periods, so "all or partly" set there is fine.
I express no opinion on Paula except to say that I should get around to reading it sometime, since that's my name and I like Isabel Allende.
Option 1: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (Set in Europe, female & fiction)Option 3: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (hermaphrodite)
Before I get too far into this task, I want to make sure I'm ok with the book paring I've selected. Option 1 : Fiction / Female / North America
Gemini by Carol CassellaOption 3 : Memoir written by a male author
by Bryce AndrewsDo I understand the task correctly and are these books acceptable?
Claire wrote: "Option 1: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (Set in Europe, female & fiction)Option 3: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (hermaphrodite)"
Approved, assuming your home continent is Europe.
Pat wrote: "Before I get too far into this task, I want to make sure I'm ok with the book paring I've selected. Option 1 : Fiction / Female / North America
[book:Gemini|17742914..."Approved, although the memoir doesn't have to be by a male author. If you choose Option 3, it just has to be one of the three choices, and the only opposite has to be the opposite of your fiction/nonfiction choice for the 1st book in the task (from either option 1 or 2).
Peebee wrote: "Claire wrote: "Option 1: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (Set in Europe, female & fiction)Option 3: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (hermap..."
Yes it is :)
Kim OI'm looking at choosing options 1 and 3. For option 1, I live in North America, I read a lot of historical fiction by female authors. My choice for option 1 is Orphan Train.
For option 3 I chose a book set in Antarctica: Endurance Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Do these choices meet the requirements for this task?
Thank you.
Kim O *REPOSTING*I originally posted this over a week ago and haven't received an answer. I'm reposting in case the notification was missed.
I'm looking at choosing options 1 and 3. For option 1, I live in North America, I read a lot of historical fiction by female authors. My choice for option 1 is Orphan Train.
For option 3 I chose a book set in Antarctica: Endurance Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Do these choices meet the requirements for this task?
Thank you.
Approved, sorry for the delay, as I was traveling for work last weekend.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know how to find out whether you read more male or female authors without counting them one by one? Just like, I'm sure, many people here, I read too much to make counting them out fun or practical. I'll probably just pick one, but I thought it might be interesting to see which I read more, and to see if that changes over time. Authors aren't sorted by gender on Goodreads, are they?
Rachel wrote: "Just out of curiosity, does anyone know how to find out whether you read more male or female authors without counting them one by one? Just like, I'm sure, many people here, I read too much to make..."I just counted up how many of each I read in the summer challenge. If you are a first time challenge participant, I'd just sort by date, count up for the 3 summer months and call it good!
Rachel, on your MY BOOKS page, look down the left hand side of the page. You should see "most read authors" listed below your shelves. Click on that link and it will take you to a page showing which authors you most frequently read and how many books by each author that you have read. Your answer will be whoever is at the top of your list.
This isn't about the task per se--I've made an estimate and am not worried about whom I should choose for the task. Really I want to know about sorting for gender in authors. I've already referred my question to Goodreads support. Thanks!
Bea wrote: "Rachel, on your MY BOOKS page, look down the left hand side of the page. You should see "most read authors" listed below your shelves. Click on that link and it will take you to a page showing whic..."Thanks, Bea,
I never even thought to look at that!
Also, the first option isn't meant to be complicated...it really is the honor system, a guesstimate, or however you want to determine it. It is like a comfort food task, allowing you to read something that's consistent with your favorites and preferences, since whatever you pick for the second book will be "opposite" enough to take you out of your comfort zone.
I can read Lazybones - Mark Billingham (as I read loads of Crime/Thriller type books and I live in the UK) for Option 1. Then Heaven Calls for an Angel: A True Story of Childhood Cancer - Michelle Diana Lowe for Option 3?
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Kate Atkinson (other topics)Kate Atkinson (other topics)
Mark Billingham (other topics)
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I LIVE IN: North America
Option A: (tba) - fiction / male / North america
Option B: Nonfiction / female / South America
[book:My Invented Country : A Nostalgic ..."
Approved.